Broderick Bernard Jones (born May 16, 2001) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a two-time CFP national champion before being selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
 Jones with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 | |||||||
| No. 77 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | May 16, 2001 Lithonia, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 311 lb (141 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Lithonia (Stonecrest, Georgia) | ||||||
| College: | Georgia (2020–2022) | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2023 / round: 1 / pick: 14 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2024 | |||||||
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Early life
editJones attended Lithonia High School in Stonecrest, Georgia. He received his first athletic scholarship offer while he was a ninth grade high school student from Alabama.[1] As a senior, he was considered one of the best offensive lineman in the class of 2020 and was a part of the Under Armour All-American Game.[2] A five star recruit, Jones committed to play college football at the University of Georgia.[3]
College career
editAs a freshman in 2020, Jones was a redshirt player. In 2021, his production increased and he made four starts in relief for Jamaree Salyer, who was injured.[4] He was named to the 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team.[5]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄8 in (1.97 m) |
311 lb (141 kg) |
34+3⁄4 in (0.88 m) |
10+5⁄8 in (0.27 m) |
4.97 s | 1.74 s | 2.82 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) |
9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) | ||||
| All values from the NFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
2023 season
editThe Pittsburgh Steelers selected Jones in the first round with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.[8] On October 8, 2023, Jones made his first career start against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5.[9] In his first start, he was able to record 37 pass block reps against the Ravens defense, allowing no sacks and only allowing one pressure.[10] In Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, Jones relieved Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. He remained the starter for the rest of the 2023 season.[11] He finished the season starting in 11 games, playing in all 17. Jones made his first postseason appearance in the Steelers' 17–31 loss to the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Wild Card round.[12]
2024 season
editPrior to the 2024 season, Jones was named the team's starting right tackle. He made his first start in the Steelers' Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. During Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Jones struggled with multiple penalties, committing three in the span of six plays. All three penalties were costly for the Steelers as one negated a 51-yard pass from Justin Fields to George Pickens. After the third penalty, Jones was benched in favor of Troy Fautanu for the remainder of the game.[13] When Fautanu was injured during a practice prior to Week 3's win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones was reinstated as the starter. Fautanu was placed on the injured reserve list the following week, permanently placing Jones in the starting position for the remainder of the season.[14]
Jones would have one of the best games of his career thus far during Week 10's 28-27 Steelers win over the Washington Commanders.[15] Earning a PFF grade of 74.0, he allowed no pressures, sacks, quarterback hurries or hits on snaps in which he was on the line.[16]
Personal life
editJones wears the number 77 in honor of former Georgia teammate Devin Willock, who died in a car crash in January 2023.[17]
References
edit- ^ Towers, Chip (February 5, 2020). "It's all about loyalty for UGA 5-star signee Broderick Jones". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Weiszer, Marc (January 10, 2020). "Holding onto OT Jones more crucial after Georgia departures". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Legge, Dean (February 5, 2020). "Five-star OT Broderick Jones sticks with Georgia". Online Athens. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Riley, Connor (August 17, 2022). "With a push from Kirby Smart, Broderick Jones wants to be the best left tackle and leader for Georgia football". DawgNation. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "2021 SEC All-Freshman Team". SEC Sports. December 10, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Broderick Jones Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Broderick Jones College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Varley, Teresa (April 27, 2023). "Steelers select Broderick Jones in the first round". Steelers.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ DeFabo, Mike (October 4, 2023). "Steelers first-round pick Broderick Jones readies for first NFL start". The Athletic. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Offutt, Ethan (October 11, 2023). "Broderick Jones Has Incredibly Impressive First Career NFL Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Varley, Teresa (January 24, 2024). "Rookie Recap: Broderick Jones". Steelers.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Broderick Jones 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Broderick Jones benched after three penalties in six-play span - Mon Valley Independent". www.monvalleyindependent.com. September 17, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Darnay, Mike (September 23, 2024). "Report: Steelers lineman Troy Fautanu expected to miss the rest of the season with knee injury - CBS Pittsburgh". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Koehler, Allison (November 12, 2024). "Steelers top 10 offensive players in Week 10, per PFF". Steelers Wire. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ Kozora, Alex (November 11, 2024). "PFF: Broderick Jones Has One Of Best Games Of Career Against Commanders". Steelers Depot. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ Pryor, Brooke (April 28, 2023). "Steelers rookie to honor late Georgia teammate". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.